Château de Donjeux

Passed down among women since the early 1800s, the Château de Donjeux is situated among majestic terraced gardens that are maintained with a focus on environmental sustainability.

Site History

The current Château de Donjeux dates from 1755 and was built on the ruins of a fortified 11th-century fortress. Following the death of the Marquis de Lespéroux in 1770, the chateau was passed on to one of his sons, Sébastien Charles Hubert. Hubert died during the French Revolution, and his family fled to Switzerland. When they returned to France, they reclaimed Donjeux and maintained it until handing it over to Jean-Baptiste Raulot for financial reasons in 1810. Since that date, the Château de Donjeux has been inherited several times by women in the same family. In 1991, it was jointly owned by nine Viney siblings. In 2021, the joint ownership was extended to their children.

The architect of the château and its gardens was Jean-Michel Chevotet (1698–1772), who also designed the Château de Champlâtreux, the Pavillon de Hanovre and the Château de Beloeil—the “Belgian Versailles”—and its majestic park. 

About the Project

The restoration work concerns several architectural elements in the terraced French gardens that surround the buildings: the reflecting pool, the outer walls, and three entry gates and their flowerpots. 

The Château de Donjeux Gardens Today

An association, les Amis du Château de Donjeux, was created in 2022 to develop activities and open the estate more broadly to the public, with a special emphasis on activities for children and appreciation for the gardens. The gardens are maintained with consideration for environmental sustainability, including a “zero pesticides” policy. They include a large and beautiful vegetable garden enclosed by walls and iron gates, which offers an east-west perspective perpendicular to the avenue leading to the main courtyard. The charm lies in the interplay of the different levels of terraces, linked by freestone ramps that enclose two pavilions. Stone and cast-iron vases adorn the terrace walls and highlight their design.